


Once Upon a December

by Whiteon



Category: Anastasia (1997), Batman - All Media Types
Genre: Anastasia AU, Angst, Bruce Wayne is a Good Parent, Developing Relationship, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Harvey is Rasputin, Humor, Hurt/Comfort, I tried at least, Jonathan Crane - Freeform, M/M, NO CAPES, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Romance, Swearing, alternative universe, bc Jason, no magic, the whole movie
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-12-13
Updated: 2021-01-12
Packaged: 2021-03-10 17:21:44
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 13,034
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28050837
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Whiteon/pseuds/Whiteon
Summary: Dick is trying to figure out his past and place in the world with help from Jason and his friends. But they're not telling him everything.And there's a threat hiding behind the scenes.I love this movie and I've seen short fics inspired by it. I wanted to write the WHOLE movie as a JayDick fanfic :D
Relationships: Dick Grayson/Jason Todd, Roy Harper/Koriand'r
Comments: 75
Kudos: 92





	1. A Rumor In Gotham

**Author's Note:**

> I have wanted to do this for long while, and now I'm doing it. I got about 5 chapters ready, waiting for editing. I'm determined to do this!

Jason grabbed a fur coat off the table, flipping the merchant two golden coins, receiving a two finger salute and a bright smile from the man. The market was bustling with people and nervous energy despite the terrible weather. Only the locals of Gotham’s crime alley could feel it in the air, not the many armed men who came from the better part of Gotham to control the area, years ago after Harvey Dent took over the control of the city. 

Despite the watching eyes, no one was silent. Whispers and mutters reached every eager ear, wanting to hear the piece of news, which was more like a small rumor though. There was no proof and no one knew where or who started it. But anything was better than the same old boring news about the rich people. Gossip was what kept the people cheery. The word travelling from alley to another, from mouth to mouth. It was a chain, like a broken phone.

_ “The eldest son of Bruce Wayne is still alive and somewhere here in Gotham.” _

Jason grinned as he listened to the hushed conversations as he passed them. The cold winter air and sleet didn’t bother him, born and raised (mostly by himself) in the Crime alley, as he was used to it. He knew this part of the city like his own pockets and many of its residents. Old brick buildings were close to collapsing and paled in the comparison to the higher, bigger and fancier mansions. 

_ And soon I can say goodbye to this shitty city forever!  _

Jason stopped for a moment to chat with a few people, listening to their versions of the rumor. He knew that they were just rumors, there was no way the real deal was alive. But one of the rumors making the rounds among the homeless and poor, was true. 

Bruce Wayne, a nobleman and one of the richest men in Gotham, chased to Metropolis, was willing to pay generously to anyone who brought his eldest of three back to him. Apparently the man still had hope after all these years.

Despite not believing that the eldest was alive, Jason was going to be the one who collected the generous offer. He had the perfect plan. Having been a kitchen boy in the manor as a kid, he knew everything there was to know about life there. He would be able to make anyone with the right looks and age to appear as the son of the former nobleman. And then, Jason with his friends Roy and Kory, would live the rest of their life without worries, in luxury. 

Knocking on the door first and then opening it with a key, Jason slipped into the theatre from the backdoor, where they would hold auditions to those who were willing to try and join the con. They had four tickets, and one of them was prepared for the one and only “Richard Wayne”. 

“Someone’s in a good mood,” Roy Harper, Jason’s best friend, greeted him from where he was leisurely sitting in the audience with Kory, his girlfriend, next to him.

“Of course I am, we’re finally getting out of this hellhole,” Jason said, grinning, taking his jacket off and throwing it on a chair. 

“Everything ready here?” 

“Yes sir, we got a long line at the front door. A lot of promising young men,” Roy said, vaguely gesturing to the direction of the front of the building. He’d been setting the place ready while Kory had been subtly spreading the word and gathering willing people. Starting up a con like this was a team effort and each one of them had a role to play. 

“Good. Ready to get this show started?” Jason asked, sitting down and lifting his legs on the chair in front of him, crossing his arms behind his head. This was going to be easy. 

Seven hours later and at least thirty failed auditions later, Jason, Roy and Kory were done. Done but without a fitting candidate. 

Frustrated, Jason kicked a chair over and paced around the stage. Not even one of the men auditioning matched what they were looking for. Some had the wrong hair color or skin tone (curse Richard Wayne for having had tan skin) or they had absolutely no acting skills. Some were way too old. Hell, what had they been thinking? One of them was a really good candidate, but turned out she was… Well, a girl. Had it not been kind of obvious, Jason would have been fine with it. As long as they could fool Wayne long enough to receive the reward money. 

“It’s over, we’re done! We used the last of our money to rent this fucking rundown theater!” Jason growled, fuming and throwing a tantrum while Roy and Kory looked at him from the side, half concerned and half amused. 

“How about we try again tomorrow? We did rent this for two days,” Kory suggested, walking over to him and placing her hand on his shoulder. Her green eyes were hopeful and reassuring.

Jason took a deep breath to calm down, and nodded. “Fine, we’ll do that. Let’s go back for now.” 

****************************************

Dick took a deep breath, as he stepped out of the orphanage. He was buzzing with nervous yet excited energy. After five years, he was finally out of there. It hadn’t been terrible, but now Dick was free to find out about his past, the four years before he was brought to the orphanage. Some men had found him wandering around the train station, lost and without a single clue about what he had been doing there. 

He remembered the circus, his parents and their death, but after that he had no idea where he was or who he was with. And no one else seemed to know since all he could do was give them his first name, Richard, but he preferred Dick. The people running the orphanage didn’t seem to care about any of that anyway. They weren’t very child friendly despite the fact that they ran an orphanage,  _ full of kids. _

Well that was behind Dick now, he had a new goal to reach waiting for him. Find out about those four missing years and who gave him the golden necklace. Thin, round plate hung from the chain with a little blue bird-shaped jewel. On the other side of the plate, there was a bat shaped symbol. It was the only item he had from those five years. It wasn’t a family heirloom from his parents and they would have never been able to afford something so borgeous. He also had a picture of him and his parents as well, but nothing else that linked him to his pasts. As he lost the four years, he lost whatever he had saved from the circus. 

Determined, Dick started to walk towards Gotham and it’s central, as it was the only lead he had. The orphanage was located just outside the city, the snowy road making the trip a bit harder for him. The snow crunched nicely under his boots. At least Dick had a hat, scarf and a moth-eaten jacket on to keep the freezing cold away. 

He was supposed to head left from the cross-road, to head to some kind of factory to work for the rest of his life, but Dick wasn’t interested, not when he felt like somewhere out there, he had a family waiting for him. He just knew it.

Stopping to stare at the sign for a moment, Dick glanced at the sky and the red birds flying over him. A small doubt entered his mind. What if he was wrong? What if there was nothing left for him from the past and he should just forget about it, like all the adults at the orphanage told him to?

“Give me a sign!” Dick yelled at the sky. “Anything! Which way should I go?!” 

A few birds burst out of the trees nearby, flying away but not in any particular direction. 

Dick sighed, his shoulders sagging down. 

“I’m gonna do it, no matter what,” Dick said to himself, and smiled. 

As he marched towards the city, a small grey and brown dog jumped out of the bushes next to the road and yipped at him, excited. Dick couldn’t help but chuckle at the sight of the poor thing. His fur was far too long and dirty, the other ear perked up while the other pointed down. Some kind of mixed breed, Dick was sure. 

“Hello little one,” Dick said as he crouched down and held his hand for him to sniff. The dog took a careful sniff before barking again and licking Dick’s hand and getting closer. He even allowed Dick to scoop him up in his arms. 

“Aren’t you just the cutest little thing?” Dick cooed, and scratched him by his ear. He felt around his neck but didn’t find a collar. 

“Are you alone too?” Dick asked the dog, feeling sad for the dog. “Well, then there’s 

two of us. But together we’re not that alone.” 

The dog barked again, a happy sound, and licked Dick’s face. Laughing, Dick made a decision. “I’ll call you Todd. Nice to meet you, Todd.” Dick laughed again as the dog yipped, clearly happy with his new name and owner. 

“Let’s go find where we belong, Todd!” Dick said and continued his way to Gotham.

_ Maybe this was the sign. I can take a hint. Here we come, Gotham! _

Gotham was bleak and gloomy. Old city, who refused to change yet people still stayed without knowing about anything better. 

Dick wandered the streets, Todd following close behind him, hoping to find some kind of a sign, a lead that could tell him where to start now that he was here. He knew that he’d been found at the train station. It was his best bet at the moment for more clues.

Dick fidgeted with his necklace, and the bat behind it caught his eye. 

_ I wonder if it means something, _ he thought. Maybe someone local could tell him more, if it had a special meaning around here.

“Excuse me, ma’am?” Dick asked one older woman, who looked like she knew her way around. The woman stopped, with a pleasant smile on her face, and nodded for him to continue. 

“Hello, sorry for bothering, but I was wondering if you knew if this symbol had some kind of a meaning around here?” Dick asked, showing the bat to her. 

The woman’s eyes widened almost comically. She quickly glanced around and then pulled him aside, away from the crowd. Then she spoke with a hushed tone.

“The bat of the Wayne family. Find Jason Todd. He’ll help you out. But you didn’t hear this from me.” 

Dick blinked before slowly nodding. 

“Any idea where I can find him?” 

“Try the old Wayne manor.” And then she was gone, disappearing to the mass of bodies moving. 

With new hope bubbling in his chest, Dick grabbed Todd from the ground and headed away from the station, to look for directions to the old Wayne manor. 


	2. Blue Eyes And Raven Hairs

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dick explores the Wayne manor and meets Jason, Roy & Kory. They strike up a deal, even though Dick doesn't know the half of it.

Dick stood in front of what had once been the famous Wayne manor, the massive building looming over him. Made out of quality dark brown wood and stone, it still appeared to be weak to the elements of nature. Now abandoned, windows blocked with boards, it was left to rot. It was still impressive and somehow, maybe a tiny bit familiar? But then again, it was familiar to everyone who was in Gotham for more than a few days. Some of its dark roofs could be seen all the way from the marketplace, as it rested on a wide hill on the edge of the city, surrounded by land and woods. 

Not sure what to do, Dick tried the front doors. Locked, as he expected. There were footprints all round the front yard but the snow falling from the sky was already covering most of them. Dick couldn’t hear a thing or see any signs of life outside or inside. He tried peeking in through small gaps between planks on the windows, but it was too dark inside to see. Only outlines of some bigger furniture, nothing else. 

Todd’s barking somewhere on his left caught Dick’s attention. He turned to face the dog, which was on the far left corner of the building, looking back at him and barking, tail wagging excitedly. 

“What is it boy?” Dick asked, walking over to the dog. As soon as he got close, Todd sprinted off, to a smaller side door. Unlike on the front door, there weren’t any boards blocking the door. Some were resting against the wall, covered with snow, like they had been there for awhile. But bunch of fresh footprints littered the snowy ground before the door.

“Good job Todd,” Dick smiled and pet the soft fur of the dog, before turning the handle. The door opened, getting caught in the middle, but with a good pull Dick managed tor pry it fully opend. Warm but dusty air greeted him, making him cough against the sleeve of his jacket. 

“C’mon Todd, let’s find the other Todd.” 

Inside, they found a huge kitchen. One could easily prepare plenty of food and meals here, for dozens of people, for the whole Gotham maybe. It was like nothing was touched. There were pans and pots, utensils and plates on the countertops and multiple ovens between the tops. Everything was coated with layers of dust, except one corner, which was clean of it and seemed recently used. A faint smell of garlic and something else filled the air, making the kitchen feel welcoming.

After lingering in front of a certain jar for a few more minutes, Dick moved on, through the only other door in the room. It led to a dining room, also rather dusty and untouched.

From there on out, Dick wandered through the halls, many living rooms and one more dining room, until he ended up into what looked like a large ballroom. Todd immediately started sniffing around, diving under the tables with tablecloths still over them. Spinning around to get a good look at everything, Dick marveled at the room. The floor was made out of some kind of fancy stone, marble, maybe. had it not been so dusty and dirty, Dick swore he could've seen his reflection. The walls were lined with wall hangings, paintings and fancy golden decorative patterns.

He had to take his jacket and hat off, since the manor was quite warm from the inside. A sign that someone had been warming the place and maybe even living there for a while.

Dick could imagine people mingling with flutes of champagne in fancy three piece suits and stunning dresses, while an orchestrate provided them with background music, as he slowly walked across the wide floor. He wondered if the waltz music was all in his head or if someone was playing. 

_ Dancing bears, painted wings _

_ Things I almsot remember. _

Waiters would move around the noblemen and women, dodging them with ease and grace of professionals, serving drinks and fancy and exotic foods. 

_ And a song someone sings _

_ Once upon a December. _

Candles and lights would be lit, giving the room a warm, soft glow, while the multiple fireplaces along the wall would warm the room pleasantly. 

_ Someone holds me safe and warm. _

The host of the evening would walk down the dark wooden stairs from upstairs, catching and capturing everyone’s eyes, a young child next to him, in a matching dark blue suit. An older, familiar man would be waiting at the bottom, handing the man a flute and the child his own, filled with apple juice instead of orange, because he didn’t like it-

“HEY! What are you  _ doing here?! _ ” 

Dick startled awake from his thoughts (or were they memories?) and spun around quickly, finding a young man around his age with dark hair with a hint of white on the bangs, wearing a white dress shirt and straight black pants, striding towards him. He was frowning, staring at Dick with a bit of a confusion in his eyes. 

For a moment Dick just stood there, frozen and unsure of what he should say or do, but then he grabbed Todd, who had appeared at his feet, and started to run up the stairs he’d just imagined the two people walking down. He was not ready for any kind of confrontation after all the strange feelings had surfaced from somewhere deep within. 

“Wait! Wait, I just want to talk!” The guy shouted after him, and despite the urge to flee, Dick stopped at the mid point, where the stairs took a turn. When Dick turned around to face the man, he noticed two red heads, a man and a woman, further away behind. They didn’t seem to be in any hurry. 

The dark haired man stopped at the bottom of the stairs, breathing a bit heavily from running after Dick across the ballroom. Once their eyes met, the young man beneath him paused, mouth open, looking at him and then at something behind Dick. Curious, Dick turned around but before he could see what the man was looking at, warm hands were placed on his shoulders and he was spun around. Todd growled quietly in his arms, as Dick came face to face with the guy. And Dick had to admit, he was quite handsome with his strong features and teal eyes. That jawline sure was something.

“Sorry about that, didn’t mean to startle you,” the guy said, while clearly eyeing Dick up and down.

Huffing, a bit offended by the once-over, Dick couldn’t help but snap at him.

“Then don’t shout out of nowhere. You almost gave me a heart attack.” 

“Well, you’re the one who broke in here…” the guy pointed out, while circling around Dick. 

Annoyed, Dick put Todd down and then placed his hands on his hips.

“Were you a vulture in your past life or something?” 

“Maybe,” the guy grinned at him, which was unfair because it made him look even more handsome.

“The names Jason, Jason Todd.” Jason offered his hand to Dick to shake. Dick found it quite funny and odd that the man’s last name was the same he just gave to his new dog, but feeling a bit rebellious, Dick gave Jason’s hand a firm shake that left the young man rubbing his mistreated hand. 

“Dick.” 

“Wow, no need to be rude,” Jason said, rolling his eyes.

Dick sighed heavily. He should’ve known.

“No. My name is Dick, short for Richard.” 

Jason’s eyes widened comically for a moment. 

“Oh, well, Dick. What brings you here?” 

Dick glanced down the stairs, where the two red heads were cooing at Todd. The dog was clearly pleased with the attention it was receiving. Returning his attention back to Jason, he gave him a bit sheepish look. 

“I was told to find you, I can’t say who told me, and that I could find you here.” 

Raising an eyebrow, Jason gestured to him to go on. Pulling the chain from underneath his linen shirt, Dick shoved him the bat on his necklace. Again, Jason’s eyes widened for a moment before a smile formed on his face. 

“Well well, where’d you find this? That’s clearly the symbol of the Wayne family.” 

“It’s the only thing left from before I lost my memories,” Dick explained. “I remember everything up until I was eight, but the next four years until I was brought to an orphanage, which was five years ago, are completely blank for me. This is all I have left from those years.” 

Jason rubbed his chin for a moment, seeming thoughtful, before he once again looked behind Dick. 

“You know, taking that necklace into consideration and your lost memories, you could be him.” 

“Who?” Dick asked but he was ignored, as Jason turned around.

“Hey Roy, Kory, come here for a second?” 

The two redheads raised their heads and climbed up the stairs to them.

“Doesn’t he look similar?” Jason asked them, gesturing to Dick.

The two eyed him for a moment before nodding.

“He does!” Kory, the woman, said and smiled brightly. She was really beautiful with her long red hair and green eyes. She wore a white dress shirt as well, with a short black skirt.

“I agree, everything matches; the hair, skin tone,  _ eyes. _ ” The man called Roy said, nodding enthusiastically. His red hair was messy and pulled back on a ponytail, and he was wearing a similar outfit as Jason but had a red vest over the shirt.

Annoyed by being ignored, Dick rolled his eyes and tapped the floor with his foot. 

“ _ Who _ are you guys talking about?” He asked, at the edge of his temper.

Jason grinned at him, the smile crooked, and then spun him around to face a large painting hanging on the wall behind them. It was a portrait of a raven haired man with blue eyes and stoic face sitting on a fancy armchair, an older man with greying hair standing behind him and a young boy on his lap. The boy had soft black hair with bright sapphire blue eyes. His clothing matched the mens’ and he was smiling brightly while the older men were serious. 

“Richard Wayne of course. I must say, the resemblance is striking.” 

Dick gaped at the painting.

“My- My last name is Grayson,” he pointed out.

“Everyone knows that he wasn’t Bruce’s actual child.” Jason shrugged. “You know, we’ve actually been looking for him. You said that you don’t remember four years of your life?” Dick nodded.

“Maybe it’s you.” 

Dick turned to him with a frown.

“No way.” 

“You don’t know that, or well,  _ remember.  _ And you did say that your actual first name is _Richard_ of all names. ” 

What Jason was saying was true. Dick didn’t remember, so it was a possibility. And even he himself had to admit, the boy in the painting looked a lot like himself. And they had the same first name. How odd was that? 

“You really think I might be him?” 

“Maybe. We could take you there, Metropolis. I mean if you're Richard Wayne. That’s up to you.” Jason shrugged and turned away, leaving Dick to stare at the painting. 

Roy and Kory joined Jason as he walked away.

“Dude, what are we doing? He’s perfect, we can't just walk away, can we?” Roy hissed, quickly glancing behind where Dick still stood with the dog at his feet.

“I have it all under control,” Jason assured them.

“Three… Two....One-”

“Jason! Wait!”

Jason gave Roy and Kory a smug grin before turning to face Dick.

“Yes?”

Dick walked down the stairs, hands behind his back, and stopped in front of him before speaking.

“I guess I  _ could _ be Richard. Who am I to say no since I don’t remember anything from those four years. And Mr Wayne should know right away, if I’m him or not. Then I’ll know and it was just an honest mistake, right?” Dick asked. His bangs fell over his eyes, as Dick watched Jason, fluttering those long eyelashes at him. Jason had to admit to himself that that was pretty damn attractive.

“True,” Jason amended, nodding. “So, you in?” 

“Yes.” 

Jason grinned and wrapped an arm around Dick’s shoulders. 

“To the Metropolis it is then!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The second chapter, how do you like it? I hope it wasn't too confusing! <3


	3. Train Trouble

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The big bad behind appears for the first time and the crew runs into some trouble on the train.

Somewhere in on of the biggest buildings in Gotham, a man with the whole other side of his face scarred, sat in his large office, going through papers. He wore a green and purple suit, his hair a mess with the other side completely white. Irritation showed in his face in a form of a deep frown. He fidgeted with a single coin in his free hand, flipping and glancing at it every now and then.

His irritation only grew when someone, one of his lackeys most likely, knocked on the door rapidly. 

“What is it!?” Harvey Dent snarled, slamming the papers he was holding on the table. 

The door opened and a rugged man stepped in, wary of his boss's mood.

“Sorry to bother you boss, but we got some news for you that you might want to hear,” the man explained, fidgeting with the hat in his hands.

“Then get on with it!” Harvey yelled. He had no patience today for any of this bullshit.

The man swallowed audibly but continued, not wanting to irritate his boss any more than necessary.

“Wayne’s oldest brat, he’s alive.” 

Seeing red, Harvey stood up from his seat and growled like a wild animal.

“WHAT?! How?!” 

“We don’t know sir, but I saw him with my very own two eyes. Older but definitely him. Was with the Outlaws, on their way to the train station I bet.” 

Harvey flipped his coin, form still seething with rage, but settled down after the coin fell back on his palm. 

“Kill the brat. If possible, kill the Outlaws too, they’ve been a pain in my ass for ages,” Harvey ordered and a cruel crooked grin took its place on his ruined face. The man at the door nodded before hurrying off quickly, not willing to spend any more time in the close proximity of his boss. 

Alone again in his office, Harvey allowed himself to laugh.

“It’s time to pay for what you did, brat,” Harvey muttered to himself, eyes gleaming with crazed excitement. It was time for some sweet, sweet revenge. 

***************************************************

Jason glared at the dog, apparently named Todd, which happily sat on the window seat in their small room in the train car. Dick occupied the other, watching them with amused eyes and barely hidden smile. 

“So, the mutt gets the window seat?” Jason muttered quietly. 

“Obviously, we don’t want the poor thing to get sick, now do we?” Kory asked innocently, sitting next to the dog with Roy on her other side. Leaving the only seat available next to Dick. 

Rolling his eyes, Jason muttered a few well chosen words under his breath before he sat down next to Dick. Glance at the other man made Jason frown.

“You should sit up straight, you’re from a noble family. Better get used to it.” 

Dick gave him a quick glare, and sat up on his seat, placing his hands on his lap. He resisted the urge to roll his eyes. 

“Jason?” 

“Yes, Dick?” 

“Do you  _ really _ think that I’m a noble?” He asked, once again looking at him from under those gorgeous long lashes, with his bright blue eyes.

Jason couldn’t help but lean in a little bit, arm on the back of the seat to support himself. 

“You know I do,” Jason said, suave as ever. 

“Then stop  _ bossing _ me around!” Dick snapped, their faces inches away, and turned to stare out of the window, arms crossed over his chest with a satisfied smile on his pretty face.

Jason gaped at him for a moment, before also turning away and slouching back on his seat. Across him, Roy and Kory were trying hard not to laugh, but failing. Jason could see Roy take out a piece of paper and mark something on it. Rolling his eyes, Jason threw his head back and willed the sleep to take him. 

A few hours later, Jason and Dick were left alone. Roy and Kory had disappeared off somewhere and taken Todd the dog with them.

Jason sat down heavily on the other side of the car, opposite of Dick, who was reading a book of some sort. 

“Look, I think we got off on the wrong foot,” Jason began.

“I agree,” Dick said from behind the book. “And I accept your apology,” he added, quickly looking from behind it. 

Jason made a disagreeing noise and gestured wildly with his hands. 

“That wasn’t an apology!” 

Dick gave him an unimpressed look and went back to reading. 

Jason huffed, annoyed.

“Fine, be difficult.” Jason could see Dick roll his eyes, before turning away once again, putting the book away this time. 

After a moment of rather awkward silence, it was Dick who broke it.

“Are you going to miss Gotham?”

“Nope.” 

“Why?” 

“Because it’s a shity place, end of story,” Jason just barely stopped himself from snapping. He shouldn’t actively try to pick a fight with Dick, when they were supposed to be kind of working together. 

“But wasn’t it your home?” 

“No. I just lived there, but it was not a home for sure.” 

A sad expression appeared on Dick’s face but Jason was glad that it wasn’t pity. He would have probably ended up hitting him otherwise. Not hard of course, but still.

“So… Planning to make Metropolis your new home?” 

“No. What’s with you and homes, should I leave you two alone?” 

Dick rolled his eyes and stood up, intending to leave the room. Jason, feeling like an ass, propped his feet over to the seat across, thus blocking Dick’s path. It earned him another glare from the shorter man, and a couple of kicks on his legs, before Dick gave up and climbed over the seat to get past his legs. Jason felt proud of himself. But then he realized that he was being childish. 

As Dick was about to open the door, Roy and Kory burst in. Jason immediately stood up, recognizing the concern on their faces.

“I hate Dent with all I am,” Roy groaned, grabbing some of their bags.

“Harvey’s here?” Jason asked, frowning. This wasn’t good. Harvey was the one who chased the Waynes out of Gotham. If he knew that Dick was alive… Not to mention the man wasn’t the biggest fan of the Outlaws.

“Not himself, but I recognized some of his lackeys. They were looking for something, or  _ someone. _ ” Roy nodded towards Dick, who Kory was urging to gather his jacket and other stuff, so they could leave the car.

“Baggage car?”

“Baggage car.”

“Is there a problem with something, Jason?” Dick asked with a knowing tone when they reached the baggage car. 

“A problem, pfft- Of course not,” Jason said with a confident smile. “Just thought that it would be better if you, a high profile noble, didn’t have to mingle among all the commoners, is all.” 

Dick sighed and shook his head but didn’t question him further. 

They didn’t get a long moment of peace, when weird noises coming from behind them caught their attention. Suddenly, the car jerked oddly, and the back door they had just used to enter the car, flew open. 

“We’re separated from the rest of the cars!” Roy shouted over all of the loud rumbling and clanking around them.

“What the fuck?! How!?” Jason cursed, shoving past Roy to get a look. The rest of the train was indeed following them far behind, eventually disappearing from the view. 

Jason then ran across the car.

“I’ll go to check the locomotive! Someone should be there!” 

“We’re going way too fast,” Kory pointed out as she and Dick took a look outside. Dick agreed. The snow and trees passed by them at an alarming speed, leaving everything around them blurry.

Jason dropped down from on top of the coal car between their car and the locomotive. 

“There’s no one there! And the engine is going  _ really _ hot!” He yelled. “We need to separate the cars!” 

Roy handed Jason a hammer he found from among the stuff in the car, and Jason started to try and break the seal locking the two cars together. Jason cursed as the hammer broke. The seal had somehow been melted together. 

“We need something stronger!” 

Roy and Kory were distracted at the back of the car, so they didn’t hear Jason. But Dick did and a moment ago, something that could help them had caught his eye. 

“Here,” Dick said as he handed Jason a lit dynamite stick.

Jason stared at it for a second, amazed.

“That’ll work!” 

All four of them plus Todd took shelter behind some boxes from the explosion, which shook the car and sent splinters raining, severing their car from the ones before it. 

“What do they teach you at those orphanages?” Jason asked Dick. 

“Self defence?” Dick shrugged. 

“Yeah, right.” Jason rolled his eyes. 

Eventually the speed of the car started to decrease and four of them jumped off. The unruly locomotive had broken the bridge ahead of them, so it was the only choice they had, since falling to their deaths didn’t sound very appealing. 

“I hate trains. Remind me to never  _ ever _ get on a train again,” Jason said as they brushed the snow from their clothes at the side of the railroad. Dick, Roy and Kory all agreed with him, Todd letting out a bark that also sounded like an agreement. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thoughts on this chapter? :D Used some actual lines from the movie, becuse they're hilarious!


	4. You Can Learn To Do It

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dick learns a one thing that was kept from him. And then a lot more about who he probably was and what the life had been like.

Dick sighed as he sat on one of the suitcases. Apparently they didn’t have to go the whole way to Metropolis by foot, they would take a bus. Nothing wrong with that, actually it was a blessing for Dick's aching feet, but after the fiasco on the train, Dick wasn’t a huge fan of any kind of vehicle. Not to mention that they had to wait until evening for it to arrive and it was still early morning when they reached the stop.

And it was in the middle of nowhere, in the woods. 

Currently, Kory was cooing at Todd, playing with the dog on the soft and warm grass, while Jason and Roy were in the middle of a heated discussion about something and refused to let Dick in on it. 

They had managed to leave the cold snow of Gotham and had arrived in the warmer climate near Metropolis. The sun was shining brightly from the sky, melting the rest of the snow and warming the air plesantly. Flowers were blooming on the meadows they had passed and birds chirped happily. It was starting to look a lot like spring and Dick loved it. At least something was going well fro them. Especially seeing some robins fly by above him lifted Dick's spirit higher. Dick couldn’t help but smile, remembering his mother’s nickname for him. 

_ My little Robin, _ she had called him back then, when he was small and performing their trapeze act to the gasping audience. 

Dick shook his head, to clear it, as his eyes started to sting. This wasn’t the time to reminisce about those memories, they were far too bittersweet right now. He had a whole another part of his past to figure out. 

They still had a long journey ahead of them, as they had to take a trip by a ship after the bus ride. Dick wasn’t looking forward to that. For some reason he knew, despite his parents never taking him anywhere by a ship, that he was going to feel sea sick once they would board the ship. How he knew, Dick had no clue.

_ Maybe it has something to do with the lost four years? _ Dick wondered.

Dick didn’t get to ponder that for long though, when a few words of the discussion happening a few meters away from him reached his ears.

_ “We have to teach him, or Alfred won’t let us in,” _ Jason hissed, his voice a bit too loud. Roy shook his head and pinched the bridge of his nose.

_ “And  _ how _ are you going to explain that to him?” _ Roy snapped back.

“Explain what to whom?” Dick asked, as he stood up and walked over to the two men, one eyebrow raised, arms crossed on his chest. 

The two men glanced at each other, and Roy gave Jason a look. A bit sheepishly, Jason stepped forward while rubbing the back of his neck. 

“No one gets to see Mr Wayne without convincing Alfred, his butler, first.” 

Dick took a sharp breath, mouth forming a thin line. 

“No! Jason, no! I was never told I had to  _ prove _ that I’m Richard Wayne!” He snapped, poking Jason’s hard chest. “Show up, yes; dress up maybe? Sure, why not; but  _ lie _ ?” 

Jason stepped forward, into Dick’s space. 

“You don’t know if it is a lie! What if you are him?” Jason said. “I thought you wanted to know who you are no matter what?” Jason pointed out a bit more softly, raising his arms a little as a gesture of peace. 

Dick rolled his eyes and groaned loudly, pushing past Jason to cool his head off. He did not want to see or talk to the other man right now. Walking over to the wooden bridge, Dick leaned on the railing, watching the river below run. Millions thoughts and doubts plagued his mind as he tried to put them in order. 

From the mirage on the water, he saw Kory walk over and lean on the railing next to him. Her red hair and yellowe summer dress swung along the warm spring breeze.

“I’m sorry, it was quite unfair of us not to tell you about meeting the butler before Mr Wayne,” she said softly, sincerity clear in her voice and on her pretty face. “The boys don’t always think these things through.” 

“I noticed,” Dick muttered, glaring at the water. “I’m a nobody, always have been and will be. I don't have a family, not _anymore._ ” 

“I don’t think so. I think you just might be him, Richard Wayne. I never met him, you, then but I saw from far away during some galas. The resemblance is amazing,” Kory reassured him. 

Dick turned to her, curious. "Why were you at the galas?" 

Smiling at him, Kory turned to look at the river again. 

"I was a princess once, myself. I had a chane to visit the manor a few times, as a guest of Mr Wayne," she explained. "But I hope you'll understand when I say that I don't wish to talk about that?" 

"Of course," Dick said, seriously, and nodded. 

"My point is, I believe in you," Kory said, placing her hand on his shoulder. Dick returend her smile and they fell into a comfortable silence. 

That’s when Jason decided that it was a good moment ( _ not _ ) to slide next to Dick and open his mouth.

“So, ready to become the noble man, Richard Wayne?” 

Sighing heavily, Dick rolled his eyes and pushed himself away from the railing, walking over the bridge to the other side, his bad mood returning. 

Behind his back, Kory gave Jason a displeased look. Jason looked confused and shrugged. Roy appeared next to him, whacking the back of his head. It was Kory’s turn to roll her eyes, as she turned away from them and addressed Dick.

“There’s nothing left in Gotham for you, I’m afraid. Your future, and possible family, is waiting for you, in Metropolis,” she told him.

Dick glanced at the road, which would lead him back to the bleak Gotham, and sighed. Kory was right, all he could do right now, was to see this through and try his best. 

Turning around, Dick put on a smile at the trio.

“Alright, start teaching me then!” He said cheerfully, filled with new found determination. 

******************************************************

It really turned out to be a team effort from Jason, Roy and Kory, to teach Dick all he had to know. 

Kory taught Dick all about etiquette, manners and dress code. Roy was in charge of memorizing the family members: Mr Wayne’s family and ancestors, Alfred the butler (Jason took over when it came to him) and Dick’s younger siblings, Cassandra and Timothy Wayne.

“And how old would your siblings be now?” Roy quizzed Dick, as they sat in the bus. 

“They are 14,” Dick said, nodding as he was sure of his answer.

“Correct!” 

"How would you communicate with Cassandra?" 

"Sign language." 

Roy smirked and put down the book he'd been holding and signed a simple phrase.

_ Do you know sing language? _

Without much thinking, Dick answered his question, signing. 

_ Yes I can. _

Roy's eyes widened comically but honestly it was relief for them. They didn't have the time for teaching that to Dick. When Roy asked him where he had learned it, Dick told him that some of the kids in the orphanage were mute or deaf. He had picked it up very quickly. 

Jason was in charge of past events and what Richard had been like in general. What foods he liked and didn't, or what kind of events he participated in with his father. What did he like to do for fun or with his siblings. That kind of things. 

“Favorite drink? Favorite color? Favorite way to give Mr Wayne a heart attack?” Jason asked him. Asking multiple questions at once was his way of making sure Dick had been listening to his lectures. 

“Easy, hot cocoa and blue,” Dick answered the first two questions. “Hanging from the chandelier?” 

“Correct,” Jason hummed.

“He would always say ‘ _ Please come down chum’ _ while sighing _heavily_ ," Dick said, as more of an afterthought than anything else, not even realizing what he had just said. 

Jason, Kory and Roy shared a surprised look. 

“I don’t think any of us told him about that nickname,” Jason whispered to the other two. 

Dick wondered often, how Jason knew all that about Richard Wayne or any of the family members really, but he didn’t pry. He tried once at the start, genuinely curious but Jason shut him out quickly. Dick decided to not try again as he didn’t actually want to fight with Jason. 

Despite everything, Dick couldn’t help but admit that Jason wasn’t all that bad and they were starting to get along. It was hard to be mad at him all the time when he was actually quite a nice person and very handsome; his tights were drool worthy. But Dick wasn’t going to admit that out loud just yet.

********************************************

When Dick had hard time with things like remembering answers or keep his pose straight, one of the other three would remind him:

“If I can learn to do it,  _ you _ can learn to do it.” 

And by some miracle, Dick did.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was a little shorter, but the next one should be a longer! :D 
> 
> Looking forward to some feedback! That'd be nice! <3


	5. Nightmares At The Sea

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The boat scenes :D

The ship seemed old and a bit rusty, when the group arrived at the harbor. Thic, black smoke raised from the pipe. Dick seriously wondered if it was safe for travelling. The boat trip was supposed to last only two nights but a lot could happen during that time. A huge storm could hit, there could be a problem with the engine. It didn’t help that Jason, Roy and Kory didn’t seem bothered by the state of the ship at all. and then there was the seasickness Dick was dreading. All in all, it was going to be one hell of a trip, Dick was sure of that. 

A few hours later, they hadn't left the harbor yet, Jason approached Dick as he was about to enter their cabin. Dick had wanted to take a look around the deck, so he would know where the lifeboats were before they left the harbor.

“I got you something,” Jason said, handing Dick a decent sized box, avoiding looking at him in the eye. He seemed a bit embarrassed. Dick received it and opened the lid. Inside the box, there was some fine looking clothes. A shirt and pants, maybe? 

“Oh, thank you Jason!” Dick said, giving him a genuine smile.

“You’re welcome. Put them on and meet us on the deck, okay? Kory wanted to teach you something,” Jason said, turning around and climbing up the stairs to the deck, quickly glancing behind before disappearing from the view. 

Dick stepped into their cabin, only Todd occupying it with him. He took the clothes carefully out and felt them in his hands. The material was soft and clearly good quality.

_ These must’ve cost a small fortune, _ Dick thought, a bit worried about their costs. His own clothes weren’t that bad after all, couldn’t he have just kept wearing them?

“Well, they’re already been bought, might as well use them, don’t you think Todd?” Dick asked the dog, and crouched down to pet him. Todd let out a small happy yip and his tongue lolled out as he panted. 

Jason, Roy and Kory waited outside, up on the deck, leaning against the railing and talking about something, when Dick emerged from below the deck. 

The few other people on the deck took a double take as Dick passed them but he ignored them, making his way to his friends? Acquaintances? Now that he thought about it, he wasn’t sure. He didn’t really know them or anything about them. But now wasn’t the time to think about that. 

Kory saw him first, Dick knew because their eyes met and a wide smile formed on her face. Roy was next, since Jason had his back on him, and he wolf whistled. 

“Looking good!” 

Finally, Jason turned around and paused immediately, eyes scanning Dick from head to toe, taking in the sight before him. Dick felt like squirming under his gaze but managed to push through and walk over to them. There was just something about the way Jason looked at him, eyes a bit hooded and… Wanting? Dick was certain that his own face was red as a rose by now. 

Dick was wearing a white dress shirt instead of his old, torn olive green shirt. His pants were black and straight down, maybe just a little bit tight. He even had decided to style his hair was a bit differently, some of his bangs pulled back neatly and usual rully hairs smoothed down. 

“How do I look?” Dick asked, but directed the question at Jason mostly. 

“Give us a twirl!” Kory said before Jason could answer. 

Blushing and feeling a bit embarrassed, Dick did as told and spun around once. 

“Well, what do you say, Jaylad?” Roy asked Jason and elbowed his side with a teasing grin. The bastard knew what he was doing and Jason wasn’t a fan of it. 

Rubbing his sore side, Jason turned to Dick again, after glaring at Roy with a look that could kill.

“You- You look good. Really good, the clothes, they suit you.” Behind them Jason could hear Roy and Kory sigh, disappointed by his lame words. Ignoring them, Jason continued:

“You look absolutely beautiful. I like your new hair style as well.” Jason carefully tugged one loose strand of hair behind Dick’s ear. 

“Thank you,” Dick said, a bit shyly, looking at his feet instead of Jason. It felt… Nice to be complimented, especially by Jason. He could be quite charming when he wasn’t being an idiot. 

“Now that Dick is all dressed up, it’s about time he learned how to dance!” Kory announced happily, clapping her hands together. “ All nobles know how after all. But learning is a team effort. Jason, you will be Dick’s partner, Roy and I will show you how it’s done.” 

Jason was about to protest, but then he caught the sight of Dick, looking bashful, batting his eyelashes all pretty, biting his lower lip. There was no way he could say no, when Dick looked like he  _ wanted _ to dance with  _ him _ of all people.

Bowing slightly, Jason held his hand out for him.

“May I have this dance?” 

Dick blinked but then there was a soft smile on his face and Jason thought that it was quite unfair, as it made him look even more prettier.

“Of course,” Dick said and took his hand. Jason pulled him closer, and settled his hand lightly on his waist. Dick placed his free hand on Jason’s shoulder.

“Jason will lead first, and once you get the steps right and some feel for it, you’ll switch,” Kory explained as Roy pulled her to a similar position. “It’s good to know how to lead and be led,” she added with a wink. “Now! One, two, three!”

Dick and Jason watched Kory and Roy for a moment, so Dick could get the idea, before Jason started to move, leading Dick as they went, spinning on the deck. They could feel the ship start moving beneath them, starting its journey towards Metropolis.

Lost in Jason’s eyes, Dick was mesmerized. So close to each other, Dick could feel Jason’s warmth, thawing something in him. It was like they were in their own little bubble, everyone else outside forgotten, as they swayed. Jason had Dick twirl under his arm. 

“I’m feeling a little dizzy…” Dick murmured after a moment of spinning around the deck.

“Kind of light-headed?”

“Yeah… I think it might be… Because of the ship?” 

“Could be… or the spinning? Or both.” Jason agreed, as they both stopped moving, yet still standing close to each other. “Maybe we should stop?” 

“We have stopped already,” Dick said, giggling. 

“Oh, right,” Jason chuckled too, leaning just a tiny bit closer. 

“Dick, I-”

“Yes?” 

Inches apart, Jason could see just how dazzling blue Dick’s eyes were. How nicely his hair framed his face, strands that had been pulled back had fallen back while they danced around. 

Jason was so enchanted by Dick’s beauty that he didn’t really think about what he was doing. But he wanted to kiss Dick so bad right now. 

The spell over them was broken by Todd barking all of a sudden. Jason pulled back, coming back to his senses, and cleared his throat. 

“You’re doing great, Dickie,” he said and patted Dick’s hand. “We should take a break,” he added and quickly walked away to compose himself back together, leaving confused Dick standing there. 

Roy and Kory had stopped dancing ages ago, letting the two stay in their own little world, with matching grins. They now watched with twin expressions of concern as Jason hurried away. Roy quickly checked out what Todd had started to bark at and ruined the moment for. He caught a sight of someone quickly ducking away, behind a stack of crates. A bit suspicious but could’ve been just someone passing by. Forgetting about the strange man, Roy hurried after Jason to see if he was fine.

******************************************************

Dick smiled as he watched the sun set behind the horizon. He was returning from the loo and ready to go to bed. The day had been exhausting, with arriving at the harbor and boarding the ship, the new clothes and the dance lesson, the moment with Jason… He wished so badly to know what the other man was thinking at that moment, how he felt about Dick. If the attraction was mutual or not. He had heard Kory mutter under her breath after Jason left suddenly, something about him being a coward and a moron. 

Not many people were up anymore on the deck, having retreated to their cabins to rest for the night. A couple was standing on the other side, holding each other and talking in hushed tones, giggling every now and then. Dick had to admit at least to himself that he was a little bit jealous of them. 

As he walked down the stairs, he passed by a man smoking something, but other than that he didn’t see anyone else expect a few sailors doing their duties. The smell of the fumes from the man’s cigar was overly sweet and disgusting. Dick tried not to inhale any but ended up coughing due to it. After catching his breath, Dick quickly slipped into their cabin and away from the smoke. 

Inside the cabin, Jason and Roy were already fast asleep on their makeshift beds on the floor (aka blankets and pillows), and Kory was brushing her hair in the upper bunk of the only bed in the cabin. She smiled at him when she saw him and gestured to him to come over, before dropping down and sitting down on the lower bed. Dick walked over and sat down on the floor so Kory could brush his hair.

“They fell asleep as soon as their heads hit the pillows,” Kory chuckled. “I think that they can sleep anywhere, anytime.” 

Dick smiled as he glanced at the two men. 

“I’m jealous. I don’t know if I can sleep, the swaying of the ship is making me a bit sick,” Dick admitted. 

Kory gave him a sympathetic look but then she turned to one of her bags and pulled out a small bottle. 

“Peppermint. Hold this under your nose for a moment, it should help with nausea.”

Grateful, Dick accepted the bottle and did as told. In a few minutes, he could feel it help. 

“Thank you Kory,” he said and held the bottle back to her.

“Keep it, you’ll still need it.” Kory waved her hand and stood up, climbing into the upper bunk. 

“Thank you.” Dick put the bottle among his new clothes, which he had neatly stacked at the foot of the lower bed. Then he too, climbed into the bed, Todd jumping on after him to lie at his feet. 

“Good night Kory, goodnight Todd the dog,” Dick whispered.

“Goodnight Dick.” 

*************************************************************

In the dark of the night, soon after Dick had fallen asleep, he began to dream. 

It was a warm summer day, and Dick was laying down on warm grass, enjoying the sun. He was wearing a loose, light blue shirt and white pants with a bit shorter pant legs that hugged his legs just right. He felt like he had nothing to worry about, no care in the world. Light like a feather. 

A voice calling him had him open his eyes, and he found a young boy, with black hair and slightly more grey-ish blue eyes. His skin was much paler than Dick’s. He seemed familiar but Dick couldn’t quite remember why and how. 

The boy smiled at him and gestured to him to follow after him on the meadow. Dick stood up, and went after the boy, feeling like he could trust him. Curiosity was overwhelming as he wanted to know what the boy had to offer. Grass tickled his bare feet as they walked.

They hopped on top of big rocks, balanced along fallen trees, warm breeze blowing past them every now and then, and a sea of colorful flowers swaying below their feet. Birds flew above their heads, singing happy and nostalgic songs that Dick felt like he knew too. 

Dick was having so much fun, laughing along with the young boy. He didn’t know what was so funny but at the same time he couldn’t care less. All that mattered was that the boy was smiling and they were having a good time together. 

Soon they reached an edge of a cliff. Far below, Dick could see more people standing in waist deep, bright blue water. A young man, older than Dick, with raven hair and steel blue eyes, waved at him. Despite the steel in his eyes, the man looked at him with fondness. Next to him, there was a girl, also with black hair but she seemed like she was from Asia. She was smiling and waving as well. 

The man called for Dick, asked him to join them, telling him that the water was nice and warm. The boy next to Dick laughed and jumped, landing in the water with a big splash, making everyone laugh. Dick couldn’t help but laugh along, the happy feeling growing in his chest. He wanted to join them but something at the back of his head was holding him back. 

Back in the cabin, Todd barked loudly, right next to Jason’s ear, trying to wake him up after Dick had walked out of the door, shutting it behind him and stopping the dog from following him. 

Luckily, Jason was a light sleeper.

“What- What the hell,” Jason growled as he took in the dog yipping at him, turning towards the door and then back at him. As if he was trying to tell Jason something… 

For a moment, Jason considered just ignoring the dog or throwing his out of the cabin, but then his eyes landed on the empty bed. Both Kory and Roy were fast asleep in their own beds, unbothered by Todd’s loud barking. But Dick was nowhere to be seen. 

Stumbling, Jason stood up and almost fell back down, tripping on his blanket in his haste. The ship was rocking from side to side, testing Jason’s balance at every step as he tried to get out of the cabin. If the storm outside was as bad as it felt down below the deck, Jason feared that Dick could be in danger. But why had he left the cabin in the first place, it was in the middle of the night? Had someone broken into their cabin while they slept and taken him?

The floor outside the cabins was wet from the seawater, and made Jason’s progress even harder. New batch of water flooded down the stairs, almost knocking him back down, but he managed to push through the water. The seawater tasted salty on his lips.

Finally on the deck, Jason took a sharp breath. The storm raged on over them, lightning lighting up the sky and thunder booming loudly all around him. It was hard to see anything, masses of water obscuring his field of vision. 

_ I got to get higher! _ Jason thought, already breathing heavily, and started to head for the higher part of the deck. It wouldn’t help him at all to start blindly running around the deck looking for Dick. But he could try calling out for him.

“DICK!” Jason shouted over the roaring thunder and the raging sea. Sharp pain flashed across his jaw as he fell forward at another pair of stairs, on his way up. Cursing, he managed to pull himself up with help from the railing and the adrenaline pumping through his veins. Leaning heavily against it, he scanned the deck for any sight of the other man and kept calling for him until his throat hurt. 

He barely saw it, but there was a figure, standing on the edge of the ship holding onto a rope further away than Jason liked. Dick looked like he had no care in the world. 

“DICK!” Jason yelled again, and started to stumble towards the other, his heart beating hard in his chest. At that moment, Jason truly feared for Dick’s life.

“Dick! Dick, get down from there!” 

Dick didn’t react to his voice at all, swaying on the railing,  _ a smile _ on his face. Something was wrong, Jason just knew it. 

Jason wasn’t far from where Dick was, when he could see that Dick had his eyes closed.

_ Dick was sleepwalking. _

Then something shifted. Dick wasn’t smiling anymore, his expression fearful now. Tears were mixed in with the salt water as it splashed on his face, eyebrows furrowed. 

Finally close enough, Jason grabbed Dick around his waist and pulled him down from the railing. Dick struggled against him, yelling.

“Don’t touch me! Let me go!” 

Jason’s heart clenched at his cries. Carefully, not to hurt him, Jason manhandled Dick to stand on his own two feet and shook his shoulders. 

“Dick! Wake up! Wake up!”

Eyes flying open, filled with fear and confusion, Dick blinked and gasped, trying to catch his breath. His hold on Jason’s biceps was like a vice grip. 

“Jason?” Dick gasped, glancing around him, trying to get his bearings, while almost hyperventilating. Finally, his eyes landed back on Jason. The fright hadn’t left his face yet, tears rolling down. His cheeks were red but his face was pale, and he was shivering violently. Jason had to get him back into the cabin and dry before he’d catch a cold. 

“Shhh Dickie, everything is alright, you’re okay, I’m right here,” Jason murmured to Dick’s ear, wrapped his arms around Dick’s waist and pulled him close, then gently petting his hair. The shorter man buried his face against Jason’s neck, skin cold and wet against Jason’s. 

“Faces, there were so many faces. I- I didn’t recognize them,” Dick muttered, hysteric. “But they- They seemed familiar. But not all of them were good people, I think.” 

With a heavy heart for Dick, Jason lifted the other back in his arms, bridal style. 

“C’mon, let’s get you back inside, before you’ll get sick,” Jason whispered, feeling Dick nod against his skin. 

“You’re safe now.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I really, really want to hear what you guys thought about this chapter? It's my personal favorite so far :D I love the scene where Anya had the dream about his family/nightmare! 
> 
> I hope it makes sense to people, the way I did it, without magic :) Should if you read the tags ;D
> 
> It might take a while for me to get the next chapter out, I don't have any chapters ready anymore, and the Christmas is coming up quickly and I got a lot to do for it :) But I'm not abandoning this! Promise!


	6. Impostors

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Harvey should get stess medication. Or not, he's the villain after all. 
> 
> Also a little peek at Bruce and the family.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the wait and short chapter! Took time off to concetrate on Xmas and to gather some inspiration to write :)   
> But now I'm back and ready to continue! I'm not giving up on this. ;D

Harvey banged his fists against the hard wooden desk in his rage, paint jolting through his arms but he couldn’t care less. Not when the latest, foolproof plan to kill the young Wayne went wrong, leaving the brat responsible for his scars still relatively unharmed despite their two attempts. 

The man in front of him on the other side of the desk didn’t tremble in fear before his rage unlike his goons usually did. It was like salt in a fresh wound. But fear had long left this man’s vocabulary, as he had experimented with it for so long in his dark warehouses. Dr Jonathan Crane was merely annoyed that his plan had failed and now he was mostly likely going to die.  _ How annoying. _

“You didn’t make sure that he jumped! Or that someone wouldn’t interfere!” Harvey yelled, eyes bloodshot and twitching. “When you want someone dead, you make sure of it! You should've killed ALL OF THEM!” 

“My fear gas is perfect. Had I been able to make more, it would have worked much better. But you were stingy with your money!” Crane accused, fixing the hay hat on his head, offended. “With little that you gave me, there was no way for me to make enough.” 

Harvey growled at him, before violently wiping everything on his desk to the floor, glasses shattering and papers flying everywhere. Crane watched him throw a tantrum without flinching, looking more bored than anything else.

The door to the office opened and a man with white hair stepped in, more wary of his boss than Crane was. Fidgeting with the red scarf around his neck, he approached them.

“B- Boss, easy now- You don’t want to lose your head,” The man tried to joke to calm his boss down. It seemed to work a bit. “Stress is bad for you.” 

Taking a long, deep breath, Harvey opened his eyes with a new determined twinkle. A small yet cruel creeped on his scarred face. Flipping his coin, Harvey’s smile just grew. 

“I have a sudden sense of clarity, Bartok,” He addressed the other man. The said man perked up, raising an eyebrow, eager to hear more.

“I’ll have to kill him myself, in person.” 

“What? As in, go to Metropolis?” The man, Bartok, asked. 

“Yes, why not? I have fond memories of the city, trying to kill the Waynes and what not,” Harvey grinned. “Pack my bags and get us the tickets, time to go for a little trip!” 

  
*****************************************

“... And then I’d do some flips and stuff, and accidentally break priceless vases. Also I remember-” 

“Yes, I’m sure you did and do. That’s enough, don’t you have  _ anything _ better to do?” Bruce asked, his voice strained, pinching the bridge of his nose. He could feel the headache grow stronger every time the imposter spoke with a voice that was nothing like his son’s. He was a young man, about the right age but looked nothing like his son, despite the dark hair, blue eyes. But his tanned skin was far too dark, his features all wrong as well.

Bruce’s loyal German shepherd, Ace, pressed his nose against Bruce’s free hand comfortingly, before plopping his head down on his lap. Bruce pet the dog’s head and gave him a small smile. 

Alfred walked in from the other room and proceeded to lead the man out of the house politely. The older man had known that the newest imposter didn't look quite right but he had managed to answer correctly to his question, so he had allowed him to meet Bruce. But now Alfred regretted it, knowing that this meeting had just caused more pain to the man who was like a son to him. Who had lost his own child. 

When he returned back to the study, he found Bruce leaning forward, elbows on the desk with his head in his hands. Ace got up from his place on the floor next to Bruce’s legs and slipped out of the room. 

“No more… I won’t see anyone claiming to be him anymore,” Bruce said. He raised his head, steel blue eyes hardened by the last few years. Alfred didn’t comment on the slight wetness at the corners of his eyes. Silently, he agreed. It was not very likely that master Dick was alive anymore. Stopping now would save them from a lot more sorrow and disappointment. 

Before Alfred could comfort him with a few well chosen words, the door to the study opened a bit more, and two small heads popped in. Bruce and Alfred couldn’t help but smile a little bit as they saw the two young preteens, Tim and Cass. 

Two had grown up quite a lot in the past nine years they had spent in Metropolis. They were clearly more relaxed here, since the city was a lot more safer and all in all brighter than Gotham, but the grief caused by the loss of their older brother was visible every day. It could be seen in everyone in their little family, none of them acting the same way as before. 

The fancy house in which they now lived in, was no Wayne manor, but it was comfy. Not that it mattered to any of them anymore. Any other house or mansion too, would have lacked the bright laugh and comforting hugs Dick had brought with him. His smile and laugh had been contagious and never failed to lift their moods up.

Hell, Dick had been the first and only one that could make Bruce smile after his own parents died in that dark alley when he was eight. Taking care of the child, despite not being great at it, had given him something else to concentrate on. Dick had helped him to heal, and then later Tim and Cass had joined their family, healing his broken heart even more. 

“No luck?” Tim asked, despite knowing the answer. 

Bruce shook his head and gestured to two of them to come in. Ace slipped back in as well, going to lay on his bed under the window. Bruce smiled at the thought of the old, kind dog going to get the kids to cheer him up. It was a habit nowadays for Ace to go fetch Tim and Cass after Bruce had met the last imposter of the day. 

Cass pushed the door fully open and with brisk steps, walked over to Bruce to wrap her arms around his neck to hug him. Bruce smiled and wrapped his own around his petite daughter. Tim joined them seconds later, worming his way under Bruce's arms. 

After a moment, Cass pulled back.

_ We’ll find him. He’s out there, I know it, _ Cass signed, a determined look on her young face. Her black hair was pulled back on a small ponytail, just like Tim’s. Only reason why people didn't mistake the two of them to be twins, was because of Cass' Asian features.

Bruce sighed. He had expected this. Cass was adamant that Dick was alive and out there. Out of all of them, she still believed in it to be the case the most. Even Tim was starting to lose hope after years of imposters and fake news getting their hopes up only to plummet them down immediately.

“Cass…” Bruce started, but was stopped by Cass shaking her head, smiling. She was well aware of her family’s opinion on the subject, but she wasn’t ready to give up. Not yet.

Sighing again, Bruce nodded. 

“Alright, I won’t give you the usual speech,” he chuckled. “But I won’t see anymore imposters either,” he added.

Cass nodded, understanding in her eyes. 

_ I would never ask that of you. _ Cass knew how much seeing these people hurt his father, when none of them were _the one_ they wanted to come home.

Bruce smiled at her.

“Now, are you two done with your homework for the week?” 

“Ages ago,” Tim said, grinning, as Cass nodded next to him. 

“Good. Cass, it’s your turn to choose tomorrow’s activity. What would you like to do? Any shows you’d like to see in the theater?” 

Cass’s eyes lit up and her smile grew. 

_ Ballet! _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thougts on how I wrote about these characters?


	7. Long time no see

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The moment of truth is nearing.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry, again, that this took so long! I kinda fell out of DC fandom and into Dream SMP fandom instead. But I will finish this fic, don't worry!

“Welcome to Metropolis, the city of light, hope and everything that is opposite of Gotham!” Roy said, throwing his arms up in the air, spinning around to face the rest of their little group. They had just stepped out of the ship with their baggage, the city and it’s high, modern buildings towering over them. 

While Gotham had been bleak and gloomy, Metropolis was bright and just radiated happiness. And it wasn't just the buildings. It was visible in the smiles people wore on their faces and how light their steps seemed to be. Instead of talking in hushed tones, people were loud, not caring about who heard. And no one said anything about it. They were free to say whatever they wanted. Unlike in Gotham.

Dick had thought that the massive estates in Gotham were impressive, but so were the ones here, in a very different way. The buildings were tall and modern, light shades coloring them, not black or dark shades of grey.

“Impressed?” Jason asked, standing next to Dick, raising an eyebrow. 

“Yeah,” Dick said, eyes wide as he looked all around him. 

Taking it all in, Dick felt almost giddy. He was finally here, in Metropolis. The city where his possible family resided. And now more than ever, after everything that happened to them since they left Gotham, Dick hoped that he was  _ the _ Richard Grayson. 

“Way too bright for my taste but at least there’s no need to worry about someone stabbing us in the back,” Jason said, shrugging, but there was a smile on his face. 

“So what now?” Dick asked.

“We go meet the old Wayne family butler, Alfred Pennyworth. He’ll ask a few questions and take in your looks. If he allows it, we’ll meet Mr Wayne after that.” 

Dick nodded. It felt surreal that their journey was almost over. 

“Let’s go snails!” Roy shouted at them from further away, where he and Kory were waiting for them. 

Jason turned to Dick.

“Shall we go find out who you are?” 

“Yeah, let’s go.” Dick smiled brightly at Jason. 

_ I wouldn’t be here without him. _

******************************************************

“Alright, this is the Wayne family’s current estate. All of you, be on your best behaviour,” Jason warned, mostly looking at Roy. “ _ Don’t _ steal anything.” Jason poked Roy’s chest before turning around to face the door. After taking a deep breath to calm himself, he knocked on the door and waited for someone to open it. 

After a few seconds, they heard steps coming towards the door. When it opened, the door revealed an older man dressed in a black suit that of a butler, opening it. His hair, what was left, was almost silver colored and his face also showed the many years of his.

“Good afternoon, how may I help you?” The man asked, looking at all four of them up and down quickly. He couldn’t get a good look on Dick, as Jason had told him to stay behind Roy and Kory just in case something went wrong and they had to bail. 

“Good afternoon to you as well, Mr Pennyworth. My name is Jason Todd, and these are my good friends Roy and Kory,” Jason answered with a smile and gestured to his two friends behind him, leaving Dick out for now. 

Before Alfred could say anything, Jason continued:

“I don’t know if you remember me, but I used to be a kitchen boy at the Wayne manor when I was young.” 

The old butler’s eyes widened with surprise, and he took another good look at Jason, his taller and more muscular frame. He’d been a skinny little runt back then but he hoped that the old man would still recognize him after all these years. Jason didn’t think that he had changed all that much otherwise. 

“I do remember,” Alfred said with a fond tone, eyes warming up. “A young boy who was always willing to learn more about cooking and baking.” 

Jason smiled, feeling relieved for two reasons. Introducing Dick now would hopefully be easier and Jason had always liked Alfred, who hadn’t judged him based on his background.

“Here to catch up or is there another reason for your visit?” Alfred asked, raising an eyebrow. Of course he would catch on the fact that Jason didn’t introduce the last young man behind them right away.

Gesturing Dick to come closer, Jason decided that it’d be best to get it over with. He placed his hand lightly on the small of Dick’s back, knowing that the other was nervous as Dick was pulling at his sleeves and was avoiding looking at Alfred the whole time.

“We came across him in Gotham. I think- No, I  _ know,  _ that he’s the one you’ve been looking for,” Jason explained. “We found Richard Grayson, alive and well.”

Alfred’s face closed off immediately, eyes hard and calculating as they looked Dick over from head to toe. It made Dick feel even more nervous than before.

“I have to admit that he looks a lot like him, more so than any other who has claimed to be him. But I’m afraid we are done searching. Master Bruce won’t see anyone anymore,” Alfred said. 

Jason could tell that the older man was hurting, being reminded of his probably dead grandson. Knuckles on Alfred’s right hand were white from gripping the door so tight, a rare tell that the man was feeling more than indifference. 

“What?” Jason asked, frowning, and quickly glanced at Roy and Kory, who both gave him nervous looks. Even Dick had raised his head slightly at the news. 

“He’s not seeing anyone?”

“Correct. Master Bruce won’t see anyone claiming to be Richard Grayson anymore.” 

Running a hand through his hair, Jason tried to think of what to do. They had come all this way, they couldn’t just give up now. Not when they were so close.

“I know I’m asking a lot, but could you please ask him the same questions as the other candidates? I promise, it’ll be worth your while,” Jason asked, trying not to sound too desperate. 

Alfred looked at Dick again, making the young man squirm. But something about that felt familiar to Dick. 

“What do you have to say for yourself?” Alfred suddenly asked Dick. “You yourself haven’t said a word.” 

Dick glanced at Jason quickly, fear in his eyes. Jason was supposed to do the most of the talking, he only had to answer the questions like the three of them taught him. 

He received a firm and encouraging nod from Jason. It was enough to assure Dick that everything was alright. 

Turning back to Alfred, Dick took a deep breath before talking. 

“To be honest, I’m not 100% sure if I’m him. Five years ago, I lost my memories from the four years before that, spending the last five years in an orphanage. It fits the timeframe oddly well.” 

“So you do remember things from nine years ago and before that?” Alfred asked, seeming a bit curious now. 

“Yes. I was born and lived in a circus with my family, until my parents died in an accident. I don’t remember what happened after that until as, I said, five years ago,” Dick explained. 

The old butler’s eyes widened, hands shaking slightly. Only Jason noticed this. 

“Trapeze act?” Alfred asked, almost a whisper, but still audible enough for them.

“Yeah.” Dick nodded, glancing at Jason quickly, before turning back at the older man.

“Please, do come in, I will ask you the rest of the questions.” Alfred opened the door wider and gestured to them to come in.

  
**************************************************************

“So, what do you think Alfred?” Jason asked, standing behind the couch where Dick was sitting. Dick could feel the other man's warmth behind him. It was calming, knowing that Jason was close by. Otherwise Dick was sure he’d been a nervous mess. Well, more than now. 

“He did answer all the questions correctly, and he looks the part perfectly, I do have to admit that,” Alfred said, nodding, as he took a sip from his cup of tea. 

Jason, Roy and Kory whooped in excitement.

“I do have one more question. I haven’t asked this before.” 

Dick nodded, encouraging the man to go ahead and ask.

“I know you said that you don’t remember much from those four years, but I wonder, how did you escape Harvey’s men when they invaded the Wayne Manor?” 

Jason cursed to himself, rubbing his face with his hands. Roy and Kory were also looking at each other nervously. They hadn’t thought about that. 

Dick thought. During the past week or so that it had taken them to get to Metropolis from Gotham, every now and then he felt like he’d had flashbacks when he saw certain things or smelled certain scents. They had become even more frequent and intense after that nightmare he had back on the ship. 

“There was a boy… I think. He opened the wall.” Dick hummed, eyes looking somewhere far away. 

Jason's head whipped towards him so fast his neck hurt. He never told Dick about that. 

“I don’t know, it sounds silly,” Dick backtracked quickly, as he took in everyone’s shocked looks, hands fidgeting in his lap. 

“Not at all,” Alfred said, his eyes watering a little. “That’s exactly how.” 

Dick looked up at him in surprise. A warm hand was placed in his shoulder and he noticed Jason lean down, a smile on his face. Expect that it was slightly strained. 

“You did it, Dick. You found your family,” Jason said, quietly, only for Dick to hear. 

Nodding and holding back tears of his own, Dick whispered a quiet thank you. 

**Author's Note:**

> Kudos and Comments are welcome<3 <3 <3 They feed me and keep me motivated to do this!


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